The Visit: A Christmas Tale
by lightblue-Nymphadora
Summary: Remus and Tonks prepare for a visit from the in-laws.
1. Chapter 1

**_LbN: Written for WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot. Happy Christmas, Suzanne!_**

**The Visit: A Christmas Tale**

Remus looked up from his paperwork just in time to see Tonks go careening past his doorway. She'd tried to slide into his office, tripped, and landed just beyond the door. "Careful, Nymphadora!" he said, running to help her up.

"We need to talk, Remus," she said, leading the way back into his office.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, stopping in his tracks. If she was ignoring the use of her first name, it had to be bad.

"This," she said, holding up a letter, "was waiting on my desk when I got here."

Remus took the letter and read:

_Hello Dora!_

_I hope you're doing well. Your father and I have finally finished the house. Building took longer than we expected, but we love it! It's smaller, but we needed to downsize. Hopefully we'll be able to have you over in the new year. _

_We're actually traveling this Christmas season, to give the decorators some uninterrupted time to work. We'll be stopping by for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. We do so miss you and Teddy. See you soon!_

_~Mum_

Remus stood blinking at the paper for a moment. When he finally looked up, Tonks was biting a nail and her hair was rapidly changing colors. "Your…your parents are coming."

Tonks nodded.

"In two days."

She nodded again. "And I know it says Christmas Eve, but really we should expect them that morning."

Scanning the letter again, Remus decided to ignore the fact that Andromeda and Ted apparently only missed Tonks and Teddy…. "What now? The house looks like a swarm of Nifflers hit it. I don't think we've even bought groceries."

"Yeah, I was putting it off until Teddy got home."

"I think we should divide and conquer then. I'll go buy groceries if you go finish shopping for presents."

"Done."

* * *

"_Wizard shoppers! Be advised that the stores will close in exactly thirty minutes. Please complete your transactions, and have a merry Christmas!"_

Tonks smirked. That was a polite way of saying, "Get your crap and get out…." Four shopping bags later, she was wandering the aisles, trying to figure out what to give her parents. It wasn't that they had everything, necessarily. They just weren't very gracious gift receivers.

"May I be of assistance?" one of the clerks asked.

"I need something for a 59 year old witch and 60 year old wizard who are picky."

"Follow me," the clerk said cheerfully. He led her to the kitchen section and pointed to a silver tea set. "This is one of our biggest sellers this year. Mandolin's Tea Calendar. It'll brew you a different type of tea every morning. If you're a family that drinks tea with every meal, the tea stays the same for one day. It works quite well. My daughter has one, and she swears by it."

"I'll take it," Tonks said, nodding. Last minute gifts were not her specialty, but this seemed like it would prompt very little complaining.

* * *

Normally, Remus loved doing things in the Muggle world. It was fun to leave potions and owls and broomsticks behind for a while, and just live. Normally, he liked the challenge of adapting for an afternoon—trying to resist the urge to do things by magic.

This afternoon was not one of those times. The grocery store was packed with people. He'd opted for the local Sainsbury out of fear that Greengrass Grocers would be full of unhappy Wizards. Unhappy Muggles wasn't much better. He quickly scanned the aisles for the things he needed, muttering apologies when he bumped someone. Finally, when his cart was full and almost overflowing, he raced to the only open cash register. Of course, that one was the only register that didn't have Teddy's favorite chocolate bar. "Eurgh!" he grumbled.

"Forget something, sir?" the boy at the register said.

"I was hoping you'd have Aero bars."

"Regular or mint?"

"Mint, please."

"Oi, Candace? Toss me a few mint Aeros, would you?"

The girl named Candace literally tossed them, over her shoulder, and kept ringing up the woman at her station.

Ten minutes later, when everything was purchased and bagged, Remus was struggling down the alley to the Apparation point. The one good thing about the busy holiday period, was that everyone was so focused on what they were doing, that no one felt like helping. That would've been hard to explain…letting someone carry your bags, and then disappearing from sight. When he was reasonably sure that he was out of sight of the street, he vanished the bags and Disapparated.

* * *

"No, Remus," Tonks said, trying not to smile.

"I could go back for something else!"

"You were just complaining about the first store you visited."

"But…this is important! I would gladly brave the store…"

"No, Remus. We're giving the tea set to my parents." Tonks finally let out the laughter she'd been holding back when Remus started to pout. "If you want one that badly, I'll order you one."

Pacified, Remus smiled and waved his wand. The ingredients in the cabinet rearranged themselves, allowing him to store the new items. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"I'll pick Teddy up, and then…." Tonks trailed off, sighing at the state of their house. "Then we clean."

"How does it get like this," Remus asked, following his wife's eyes toward the living room.

"Was that rhetorical, or did you really want an answer?"

"I'm really not sure…." The house was, that week, a wreck. Normally they did better than this, but long hours led to exhaustion, which led to bad habits. That was the way it was, though. The house was kept in a state ranging from controlled chaos to verging-on-disaster. Merlin only knew what Teddy's room looked like…. "Well, we can deal with it tomorrow. Come on, I'll help with dinner."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Visit: A Christmas Tale**

Remus loved watching the train pull into the station. Those were the only moments when he could say that nostalgia truly had a hold on him. Watching the steam billowing from the train, seeing the kids scramble off of it into their parents' arms, brought Hogwarts back to him vividly. He could almost hear the noise of the halls, the clatter of benches and plates in the Great Hall. He could see his friends in his mind—their pranks, their laughter, their animal forms that comforted him so many cold nights. He shook the memories from his mind as his son got off the train.

At only 14, Teddy was almost as tall as him. His hair went pink momentarily when he spotted Remus. "Hi Dad!"

Remus waved back and went to help his son collect his things.

* * *

The boy's hair turned from its customary black and silver to bright yellow as he dodged a passing book. "What's going on?" Teddy asked, hitting the floor as a clock flew by.

"We're cleaning. Come on. Breakfast is in here."

"Not exactly the Breakfast of Champions," Tonks said as they came in, "but it's the best I can do in a time crunch."

"Wha' 'ime' unk?" Teddy asked through a mouthful of food.

"First of all, yuck," Tonks said, cleaning up the bits of egg that had just been expelled from her son's mouth.

"Sorry," he said, grinning.

"Second of all, we have to get the house cleaned before tomorrow."

"Why? What's happening tomorrow?"

"Your grandparents are coming," Remus said.

Teddy choked on a bit of bacon. Eyes watering, he gasped, "Why? They never visit!"

"Well they are this year. So you'll have to go clean your room."

Teddy stared at them, mouth open.

"I'll help, if you like," Remus said, smirking.

There was a commotion in the living room, and Tonks rushed in, brandishing her wand. Through the kitchen door, the other two could see her untangling the coat rack from the fireplace cleaning kit.

"Better get to work then," Remus said.

* * *

Since Teddy was away at school for most of the year, his room was really the cleanest of the house. Sure, it had the cluttered look of all teenage boys' rooms, but it didn't need that much work. Just some organizing and a good dusting…. That was what Remus kept telling himself, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Mixed in with their conversation about Quidditch, Teddy's classes, and Remus's work, there were a lot of muttered questions as to the origins of things in the room.

"Why do I have an octopus shaped tissue holder?"

"What…is that a tool kit? Did you raid Granddad Weasley's shed?"

"When did I get Muggle roller blades?"

"Can I donate this platypus plushie?"

"No!" Teddy yelped. When his father quirked an eyebrow at him, he said, "It's…special. Sentimental value."

Remus shrugged and bent back down. A shoebox was sticking out from under Teddy's bed. "Teddy, what's—" Remus looked up in surprise as the box flew from his hands. "Teddy! You're not supposed to be using magic outside of school. I'm a Ministry official, you know. I could report you," Remus tried, and failed, to keep a straight face at his son's expression.

"Er…this stays," Teddy said. "It's private." He fumbled with the box, trying to stash it in his closet.

Remus caught a glimpse of the box's contents, and hoped he'd read it wrong. He really didn't want to know how his son got PlayWiz magazines into the house….

* * *

"Teddy, come help me put up the lights."

"Put a sticking charm up, and I'll get it," Teddy said, mounting his broom. He picked up the loop of lights and began zooming around the house. In less than five minutes, he had the lights up. The house looked like a candy cane.

"Looks good!" Remus called.

"Thanks. Er…Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Why are Grandmum and Granddad coming over?"

"What do you mean?"

"They never come over," Teddy said, lowering his voice as his mom came out to put up the plastic candy canes. "I always stay with them during the summer. And Mum seems a little…tense."

They watched as Tonks began lining the walkway with candy canes and gingerbread men. She was sticking them into the ground so hard that she broke a couple of them.

"Er…they just surprised us, is all. Mum isn't used to whirlwind entertaining," Remus said, squeezing Teddy's shoulder. "Let's go help before any more gingerbread men fall victim to her nervous stabbing."

* * *

Tonks and Remus were perfectly still, too tired to move. They could hear Teddy, already snoring, in the next room.

"We need a plan," Tonks said.

"I think you're panicking a bit too much," Remus said, trying to believe it himself.

"They're trying, I suppose," Tonks said. "I mean, this is definitely a landmark—them visiting us for once. We're making progress," she said, getting out of bed. She tripped over the blanket.

"In some areas more than others," Remus muttered. He laughed when she hit him with the pillow.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Visit: A Christmas Tale**

The aroma of Remus's favorite crème caramel coffee filled the bottom floor of the house. He unrolled the paper and inhaled the scent. Placing the cup back on the counter, he spread jam on his toast and waited for his drink to cool a bit. There was no point in rushing things you know. Coffee, like tea, was an _art_—a subtle dance between man and morning, and it couldn't be rushed. It wouldn't do to burn all of his taste buds off and not be able to enjoy the best part of breakfast. He picked at his breakfast, listening to the sounds of his family getting ready. Teddy, in particular, was entertaining. His son was currently singing "The Magician's Carol" at the top of his lungs in the shower. He thought back to the night before, a smile touching his lips.

_Tonks came back from the bathroom and jumped (literally, jumped) into bed again. "Seriously, though. Just because they're reaching out, doesn't mean this is going to be easy. Or even pleasant."_

"_Since when are you such a pessimist?"_

"_Since I've known that my parents are…" she paused, searching for the right words._

"_Still stung by your choice in husbandry?"_

_She laughed, cuddling into his side. "I'm pretty sure you've got the wrong word there, Remus."_

"_But I get the idea."_

"_How about this," she said, propping herself up on an elbow to look at him. "I'll keep my mother occupied, and you hang out with my dad. If it gets to be too much for either of us, Teddy can be the sacrificial lamb and entertain them both."_

"_Sounds like a plan to me," Remus said, kissing her._

Remus chuckled at the memory, finally lifting the porcelain cup to his lips….

_Bing bong!_

There was a nanosecond of disbelief. Who on earth would interrupt him at such a solemn moment—_before _his first sip of coffee? Oh yeah…. Remus heaved a sigh and set the cup back down. Tucking the paper under his arm, he went to answer the door.

"Remus!" Andromeda said, smiling brightly. "You're looking well! Enjoying the holiday?"

"So far," he said. "Come on in. Morning, Ted."

"Morning," the man said. "You been following the Quidditch League controversies lately?"

"Like a hawk. Come on in—we can talk about it over coffee."

"Dora!" Andromeda said, as Tonks ran down the stairs to greet her.

"Hi Mum. Teddy's on his way down. Do you want breakfast?"

"Oh, no thank you, dear," Andromeda said, following them into the living room. "We had a lovely breakfast at Trilogy. You know, the new restaurant in Atherton Close?"

"We'd heard of it," Remus said, nodding. "Haven't been there yet."

"It's wonderful," Ted said. "Really good service. The food's a little on the fancy side, but it's still good."

"But please, don't let us be a bother," Andromeda said. "If you haven't had breakfast yet, go ahead."

* * *

"A bother" was putting it rather lightly. By three o'clock that day, Remus still hadn't had his coffee. Between showing the house and keeping Teddy from running off, Remus hadn't gotten back to his cup until lunch time. That's when the real fun began. You wouldn't think anyone could turn sandwich making into a job requiring surgical precision, but you'd be wrong. Ted was quite picky about his sandwiches. However, he would at least give directions from a respectable distance. Andromeda was a hoverer. Between the two of them, Remus had completely forgotten to brew another pot.

Currently, he was hiding in the attic, under the guise of finding an old album of some sort for Tonks. He dug through another box, finally locating it under some Halloween decorations. Holding it up to the light, he contemplated staying up there anyway. The solitude was comforting….

"Don't even think about it," Tonks said, coming up behind him.

Remus spun around and grinned sheepishly. Then he spotted what she was holding. "Coffee?"

"Yes. Not your special kind that you can smell from a block away, but still….I figured I needed to get some in you now, before there were any casualties."

Laughing, he took the cup from her. He was about to take a sip when….

"Remus, dear? How do you work the thermostat?"

He felt like crying. He must have looked like he was about to cry as well, because Tonks kissed him.

"It's only for today and tomorrow," she whispered, leading the way back downstairs.

Remus followed her, debating downing the coffee as he descended the stairs. No, he decided. He would take a moment and enjoy it after he figured out what his mother-in-law wanted. "What's that, Andromeda?"

"This house is far too cold for a growing boy!" she said, looking at the temperature panel on the wall. "Teddy needs warmth! Especially in the winter."

Teddy, behind her, was shaking his head frantically. He was always too warm in the house.

"Er…I think he's okay…"

"Yeah, Grandmum, I'm fine," Teddy said.

"Nonsense! Boys your age are always saying they're fine. Macho nonsense, trying to dodge what's healthy for you. Another five degrees, or so, would make it lovely, Remus."

He shot Teddy a Please-Just-Humor-Her look, and tapped the thermostat with his wand.

"Dora, what's up with your sink?"

"Oh, you have to jiggle the handle. It's been broken for a while now."

"I can fix it for you, if you want."

"We've tried everything," she and Remus said in unison.

"Oh, come on! Let me have a crack at it. Remus, you can help."

Teddy took that moment to dash upstairs.

Remus heard a window opening, and smiled. As he sat in the kitchen, handing tools to Ted, he heard Andromeda and Tonks discussing the lights in the next room.

"They're much to dim," Andromeda said.

"They're solar powered," Tonks explained. "Muggles use them. When it's bright outside, they're dimmer. It saves energy."

Andromeda went on to explain the benefits of bright lighting.

Remus checked his watch, wondering if he could speed up time just by the power of will alone.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Visit: A Christmas Tale**

Surprisingly enough, Christmas morning went off without a hitch. After a day of catering to his in-laws' every whim, Remus had been dreading gift-giving. He knew Andromeda and Ted were trying, but after years of their outright disapproval, experiencing them making an attempt was harder than it sounded. However, they'd been downright pleasant that morning. The endless list of critiques had stopped, and their presents were thoughtful. Remus accepted his home potions making kit gratefully, understanding that it wasn't exactly a jibe at his condition—rather, it was their way of showing that they wanted him to be okay. They'd also given them season passes to the Dublin Destroyers' games, which Tonks was overjoyed about.

"You two need to get out more," was all Ted said, smiling at his daughter.

To Remus and Tonks's relief, the tea set went over well. In fact, it was hard to tell who was more excited about it, Andromeda or Ted.

All in all, the morning had passed very peacefully. Remus had even gotten to enjoy his coffee that day. He and Tonks sat in the living room, having taken her parents up on their offer to make lunch. "I'm glad they came," he said. "This wasn't the disaster we were predicting."

"Says the man who hid in the attic yesterday," Tonks said with a grin. "No. It was…it was good."

They peeked into the kitchen at the sound of laughter. Ted was doubled over chuckling, and Teddy was covered in flour. They heard Andromeda say, "No worries, Teddy, we'll make a cook out of you yet. It took me years, but your grandfather finally learned."

"Very true," Ted said, wiping away tears of mirth.

Remus smiled back at Tonks, hugging her closer. "It was good. And we really have to hand it to them…."

"What?"

"They may not have liked me at first," he said. "But they never held it against Teddy."

Tonks was silent for a moment, smiling at the thought. Finally, she nodded and stood up. "Let's go help them, shall we? I think Mum may have underestimated how bad of a cook Teddy is."

Remus laughed and followed his wife into the kitchen, happy to have his family—his whole family—home for Christmas.

_**LbN: Happy Christmas!**_


End file.
